Acts 15:1

Acts 15:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
• New International Version (NIV)Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Context of Acts 15:1

And certain men which came down from Judæa taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 3And being brought on their way by the Assembly, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

Acts 15:1 word by word

Καί τινες κατελθόντες ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐδίδασκον τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ περιτμηθῆτε τῷ ἔθει τῷ Μωϋσέως, οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι.Read the interlinear

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• certain menτιςtis · oneG5100
• which came downκατέρχομαιkaterchomai · to descendG2718
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• Judæaὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• JudæaἸουδαίαIoudaia · JudeaG2449
• taughtδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
• the brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• Exceptἐάνean · ifG1437
• ·μήmē · notG3361
• ye be circumcisedπεριτέμνωperitemnō · to circumciseG4059
• after the mannerἔθοςethos · customG1485
• of MosesΜωϋσῆς, ΜωσῆςMōseus Mōsēs Mōusēs · MosesG3475
• yeδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• cannotοὐou · noG3756
• savedσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982

Cross-references for Acts 15:1

• Acts 21:20And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
• Galatians 2:4And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
• Acts 15:23And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
• Acts 15:5But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
• Romans 4:8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
• Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
• Philippians 3:2Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
• Colossians 2:8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
• Genesis 17:10This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
• Leviticus 12:3And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
• John 7:22Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
• Acts 15:24Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
• 1 Corinthians 7:18Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
• Galatians 2:1Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.
• Galatians 5:6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
• Galatians 6:13For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

Commentaries on Acts 15:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Except ye be circumcised, etc. - The persons who taught this doctrine appear to have been converts to Christianity; but, supposing that the Christian religion was intended to perfect the Mosaic, and not to supersede it, they insisted on the necessity of circumcision, because, by that, a man was made debtor to the whole law, to observe all its rites and ceremonies. This question produced great disturbance in the apostolic Church; and, notwithstanding the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1And certain men - These were undoubtedly men who had been Jews, but who were now converted to Christianity. The fact that they were willing to refer the matter in dispute to the apostles and elders Acts 15:2 shows that they had professedly embraced the Christian religion. The account which follows is a record of the first internal dissension which occurred in the Christian church. Hitherto the church had been struggling against external foes. Violent…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The dispute raised by Judaizing teachers. (1-6) The council at Jerusalem. (7-21) The letter from the council. (22-35) Paul and Barnabas separate. (36-41) Verses 1-6 Some from Judea taught the Gentile converts at Antioch, that they could not be saved, unless they observed the whole ceremonial law as given by Moses; and thus they sought to destroy Christian liberty. There is a strange proneness in us to think that all do wrong who do not just as we do…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1These men from Judea were Jewish Christians who taught that circumcision and conversion to Judaism were necessary for salvation. The main issue was how to welcome non-Jews into the Christian community. Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians around this time to oppose the same teaching in Galatia (see Galatians Book Introduction, “Date of Writing”).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-351-2. certain men--See the description of them in Ga 2:4.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 15:1

• Antioch
• Bigotry
• Catholicity
• Church
• Circumcision
• Council
• Elder
• Judaism
• Law
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Titus

In the dictionaries

• Judea
• Moses
• Judaea, or Judea
• Judea, Judah
• Abstain
• Cause
• Choice
• Circumcision
• Consider
• Conversion

Commentaries on Acts 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings